Compact Vacuum Material Handler

Abstract

An improved vacuum material handler having an onboard drive engine powering a vacuum pump and a hydraulic pump. The vacuum material handler also having a frame with integrated forklift lugs.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]The present invention relates generally to a vacuum powered material handler. More particularly, the present invention relates to an improved compact vacuum handler used for moving pipe, flat stock, steel and other large and relatively heavy items having a smooth uniform surface.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]Vacuum material handlers are pieces of equipment which can be mounted on the boom of an excavator, overhead crane or other equipment to move large and heavy objects. They are most commonly found in pipeline construction and certain manufacturing facilities where they are used to move large diameter pipe or flat stock steel. The vacuum material handlers available on the market today typically have a frame with a hydraulically powered rotator which can be coupled to the boom of an excavator. The high pressure hydraulic fluid from the excavator is used to operate the rotator and rotate the material being moved.[0003]The frame carries an internal combu...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0007]The present invention provides a compact vacuum material handler unit which can be coupled to various pads to move pipe and other large bulky material. The present design provides the advantage of being able to be moved from a first piece of equipment such as an excavator or overhead crane to a second piece of equipment such as a fork lift while maintaining a grip on a pipe or other material. This is possible due to the vacuum material handler not being dependent upon the hydraulic power supply from the excavator to operate the rotator or vacuum pump.

[0008]By coupling the output shaft of the drive engine to the input shaft of the vacuum pump and then having an output shaft on the vacuum pump which in turn is coupled to the input shaft on the hydraulic pump provides the ability to mount and power both the vacuum pressure and the hydraulic power with the same engine onboard the frame of the vacuum handler. This design also eliminates additional cost, weight and size needed to use a transmission or torque divider to split power from an engine to power to two devices such as vacuum pump and hydraulic pump. If size and weight are not a critical factor, the present device can be fabricated using transmission to split power from a drive engine and power both an onboard vacuum pump and an onboard hydraulic pump.

Problems solved by technology

The prior art vacuum material handlers have been somewhat limited in applications to being used only on the equipment having a supply of hydraulic fluid.

They are also not readily moved from one piece of equipment to another with the material held in place, i.e. it has not heretofore not been possible to pick up a pipe with the material handler on a excavator and then transfer the material handler with the pipe still attached to a second piece of equipment such as a forklift or overhead crane.

Second there is not an apparatus by which the material handler can be moved from a first piece of equipment to a second piece of equipment while maintaining hold on the pipe or other material.

Images